A phrase we’ve seen floating around lately is “impact washing” or “social washing” - this is similar to green washing and means essentially the same thing. Brands are leaning in to making claims about the social benefit of their businesses, whether that’s community impact, worker initiatives, or general “good will”. Oftentimes, however, savvy consumers start digging for some evidence and there is none to be found.
This isn’t to say that all brands are impact washing with malicious intent, but it’s 2023, and consumers’ “impact literacy” is rising every day. So how can you make sure your business isn’t perceived as impact washing?
1. Get B Corp certified! This designation means that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. With over 6000 Certified B Corporations in more than 80 countries and over 150 industries, this movement is growing rapidly, and gaining recognition across all demographics.
2. B Corp certification is a great tool to avoid impact washing, but it’s certainly not the only one. Quantitative impact reports based on a strong and comprehensive impact strategy are another great way to communicate the actual impact your business is having. Make sure your business has the data to back up your claims.3. Shout that data from the rooftops! Purpose driven consumers are all about transparency. They don’t want to dig in the fine print at the bottom of your website - they want the proof of your impact upfront. Make sure you’re capitalizing on all the work you’ve done to get certified, and produce impact reports, by getting that information out in front of customers, partners, and employees.If you’re looking for help communicating the quantitative impact of your purpose driven business, we can help!
